The New York Yankees are gearing up for their first spring training game on Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies. Their opening lineup is flush with youth and players competing in position battles.
Notably, Isiah Kiner-Falefa will get an opportunity to showcase any improvements and changes he made this off-season. Expect to see plenty of players get opportunities, even ones that aren’t starting the game.
On the back end, the Yankees have Trey Sweeney, Everson Pereira, Andres Chaparrio, and a few lower-level prospects competing for opportunities. Ryan Weber will get the start but expect to see the team rotate during the course of the game to get as many arms in as possible.
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The Yankees Spring Training opener lineup:
- 1.) Isiah Kiner-Falefa
- 2.) Gleyber Torres
- 3.) Oswaldo Cabrera
- 4.) Harrison Bader
- 5.) Jake Bauers
- 6.) Wilmer Difo
- 7.) Jasson Dominguez
- 8.) Estevan Florial
- 9.) Anthony Seigler
We have substantial information on most of these players, but one of the more exciting contributors is Jasson Dominguez.
Dominguez has been waiting patiently for the opportunity to feature with the Yankees during spring training, and he finally has the chance. Slotted in as the No. 7 hitter, Dominguez can hit from both sides of the plate and will see Major League pitching for the first time in his career.
Of course, these are low-level arms they won’t necessarily dominate, but introducing him to the next level of competition should expose some of his weaknesses or expand upon his strengths.
Other interesting line-up decisions include Kiner-Falefa leading off, Gleyber Torres hitting second, and even Harrison Bader featuring in the designated hitter role as the clean-up man. Estevan Florial is another player we should watch closely, who will likely feature in LF and put together a case to secure a spot on the 26-man roster.
Nonetheless, we should gather some valuable information after today’s game to begin rounding out our evaluations of each player.